THE draft thread (2013 version)

[MJZiggy]

Talk of tampons just throws me off a bit... a most confusing shopping task I will say.

As for the mess that TT drafted - it's deja vu all over again.

TT's drafts are nothing short of bizaare - and I think that's why he drives some of us nuts. Last year he takes dead aim at the mess he created in the front seven - but then didn't actually fix it. He drafted a bushel of good players - most of whom belong playing in another scheme - WTF??


Now our front seven is still a mess, but with different problems. So we take it on the chin for 579 yds, 323 yds rushing, and 45 pts - seemed pretty obvious to me that the whole thing was dysfunctional and that reconoiter was in order. TT responded by drafting Jones - okay fine - but then goes on a dart throwing rampage.

In other words - he moved down in the draft and passed on competent players at positions of great need for the opportunity to draft a bunch of developmental projects, most of whom will be cut in 6 months.

The other idiotic thing he did was drafting 2 RB's that are almost clones of 2 players he already has on the roster (Benson and Harris). While they may be slight improvements over the previous guys, the picks are essentially lateral moves. We did not appreciably improve by drafting Lacy and Franklin - we already had most of that production on the roster.

We're not going to overcome the embarrassing beat down the Niners laid on us by drafting laterally and mining for bums.

If it makes you feel any better, it's gotten so it confuses us as well and we have to use the damned things. I was referring to your contention that drafting Lacy was like a punishment to him because we don't run the ball. But we just drafted a bunch of personnel to shore up the offensive line, no? That suggests to me that we want to put more of an emphasis on that part of the game. And I don't watch college ball, so I don't know any of these kids, but I can kinda see where TT was going, here. I do know that we've had crap at RB the last few seasons and the chatter around here implies that Lacy and Franklin could contribute. And that is what you want from the draft. Kids with potential, who in a couple years could be feared.

And Mission, I think you may have just coined Bakhtiari's new nickname (probably only used by fans of other teams). Ew.

[HarveyWallbangers]

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/blog/rob-rang/22158614/2013-nfl-draft-nfc-north-grades

Green Bay Packers

Anyone who watched the Packers get dismantled by San Francisco in the playoffs anticipated that general manager Ted Thompson would focus on defense early. He did so, nabbing productive defensive end Datone Jones from UCLA in the first round. Jones was terrific this past season and carried that over to the Senior Bowl. The Packers only had one selection on Day Two, but he could prove a steal, nabbing running back Eddie Lacy, a player whom many (including myself) projected them to take a round earlier. Lacy has drawn comparisons to Steven Jackson for his blend of power and agility. Considering the red-zone opportunities that he could get with Aaron Rodgers throwing the football, Lacy could be an offensive rookie of the year candidate -- if he beats out fourth-round selection Jonathan Franklin, who left UCLA as the team's all-time rushing leader and also turned heads at the Senior Bowl. Franklin was the headliner but was just one of the standouts from the Packers' impressive haul on Day Three. Frankly, no team got better value in rounds four and five than Green Bay. David Bakhtiari and J.C. Tretter are future contributors to an offensive line that needed reinforcements, and defenders Micah Hyde and Josh Boyd are good football players who didn't get enough national attention after being overshadowed by more high profile teams in their power conferences. Grade: A

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/blog/jason-la-canfora/22152820/massive-weekend-for-the-packers-and-other-thoughts-after-7-rounds-of-the-nfl-draft

http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/draft2013/story/_/id/9200335/2013-nfl-draft-mel-kiper-gives-grades-every-nfl-team-draft

Summary: I love what Green Bay got out of this draft, particularly at two spots -- defensive end and running back. Datone Jones is a perfect scheme-fit for the defense. He's the penetrating 3-4 defensive end who should line up to the right of B.J. Raji. The Packers improved their pass rush last year after a disastrous 2011, and Jones is going to provide yet another player who can cause some problems for opposing quarterbacks. I know some teams have health questions with Eddie Lacy, but getting the guy I had as the No. 1 RB in the draft all the way down at No. 61 is terrific value. The Packers build their offensive portfolio off Aaron Rodgers' arm, but it'd be nice to see that 43-game streak of no running backs reaching 100 yards come to an end. Remember, Rodgers also took plenty of hits over the last two years, so a little more reliability in the run game is key. Adding to that, Johnathan Franklin will produce if called upon. That position is now a strength. There isn't a lot else here that will factor into the 2013 plans. J.C. Tretter can give them reps, but won't be needed early. One sleeper here is Charles Johnson from Grand Valley State. I thought he might come off much earlier than No. 216. Green Bay did well with its early picks, and that's plenty.

http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcnorth/post/_/id/55883/nfc-north-draft-analysis-5

BEST MOVE

Thompson and the Packers had been trying to patch together the position ever since Ryan Grant broke his ankle in Week 1 of the 2010 season. It was time to find a more permanent solution, and Lacy and Franklin give them the personnel infusion they needed.

[red]

lots of A's and A-'s out there right now for our draft

the more i think about it, the more excited i am about our brand new thunder and lightning running game

should help keep the defense fresh, and keep teams honest so a-rod can blow them away. and we should have no problem running out the clock at the end of games anymore

[rbaloha1]

Its clear the packers are moving away from 2 gap to more 1 gap as evidenced by Tgorvac stating he is looking for penetrators on film.

Maybe this helps Raji.

[woodbuck27]

Here 's some NFCN Draft Grade LINKS:

http://fansided.com/category/nfl/nfc-north/

[pbmax]

Its clear the packers are moving away from 2 gap to more 1 gap as evidenced by Tgorvac stating he is looking for penetrators on film.

Maybe this helps Raji.

The Packers have normally 1 gapped more than 2 gapped. But there is a difference between 1 gapping and a headlong rush into the backfield, separating yourself from your teammates with too much depth (see Raji versus Vikings, 2nd half, 2nd Vikings game) and creating gaps for backs to scoot through.

Back in the day of its initial installation, the Steelers of Cowher, Capers and LeBeau 2 gapped like a traditional, static 3-4. If I am not mistaken, the Steelers had already installed a 3-4 before Cowher's arrival (Dungy was on the staff that left). That changed as the decade wore on until LeBeau came back as DC and essentially started to use 1 gap as the basic approach. Darren Perry talked about this happening during his time in the Burgh. He was responding to reporters who expected 2 gap, all the time.

Dungy, by the way, kept his 3-4 principles in place through his stint in Minnesota until he landed the HC gig in Tampa. There he and holdover Monte Kiffin hashed out an approach that kept Kiffin's 4-3 Under and merged it with Dungy's zone. Boom, Tampa 2.

Kiffin BTW, taught that Defense to a guy named Pete Carroll and a bunch of others.

[pbmax]

BTW red, congrats on the second highest number of views in Packerrats, Packers Room thread history. You are above Tebow and below Favre.

[mission]

BTW red, congrats on the second highest number of views in Packerrats, Packers Room thread history. You are above Tebow and below Favre.

That's big time right there.

[red]

BTW red, congrats on the second highest number of views in Packerrats, Packers Room thread history. You are above Tebow and below Favre.

thank ya

my goal is 100 pages

[Guiness]

Here 's some NFCN Draft Grade LINKS:

http://fansided.com/category/nfl/nfc-north/

At least that site had the good sense not to automatically give the Vikings an A+ simply because they drafted three names they recognized.

Questionable move by them, as well, drafting Jeff Locke, the punter from UCLA. I'd guess they're getting tired of his activism, and this is a message to him to concentrate on football. I don't think it will work.

[rbaloha1]

All gapping requires discipline and trust in your teammates.

The Lebeau zone blitz creation was to occupy blockers with large 2 gappers and disguise where the blitzes are coming from.

The problems are teams know where the blitzes are coming from and receivers run to the vacated areas. The geometry of the zone read option and pistol creates more problems.

CK is a long strider -- needs to be tackled before he turns shoulders up the field. CK's footwork from college has improved and is taking smaller strides which present more issues.

Capers better have some schemes ready.

[wist43]

Boyd is certainly going to see enough snaps to matter on the DL and is just the 2-gap tree stump we need to do dirty work for us. That's a very exciting pick in this fit.

On the OL, on or both of these guys can make a difference. I doubt either is more likely than Sherrod to supplant Newhouse but Bakhtiar certainly could. I don't have a problem with Bakhtiar's build, just that to me it doesn't seem like his strengths as an athlete don't seem to match his strengths as a football player. Physically with his feet and mobility you'd think he'd be a nice fit for the ZBS but he seems to overreach and play out of control when blocking at the 2nd level. He was pretty highly regarded predraft, 2nd or 3rd round pick so getting him in the 4th seems like good value especially with the premium that was on the position.

Tretter will be a factor this year IMO because I think he's a center. He's got the perfect build for it and with his tight end background you know he's got the hands required. Last year McCarthy went with Saturday because of how good he was between the ears, Tretter is an Ivy League player and every coach who gets a chance mentions how bright he is. I don't think EDS is a liability at center but it would be pretty awesome to get a bigger stronger guy in there who can do more at the 2nd level.

Even if both of those guys are just competing at G/T McCarthy mentioned in his presser yesterday that Lang can play center so if either of these guys can play anywhere, we'll have a way to get them on the field.

If Tretter blows us away, and seizes control of the C job?? If the muslim guy wins the RT job, and Bulaga solidify's LT?? If Boyd can actually play the nose (I don't think he can - I think he's CJ Wilson's replacement, i.e. a lateral move)?? If Capers gets his head out of his ass and actually plays more than 1 DL at a time?? If, if, if... and they're much bigger if's b/c TT went on the cheap again and went shopping for these items at the flea market.

Had TT just bitten the bullet and actually drafted a freaking Center, or drafted Brandon Williams when he had the chance, we could be talking about the prospects of an improved running game, and a no-doubter fire hydrant in the middle our D-line.

Instead, TT passed on Schwenke and Jones for an OG from Cornell, that they'll try at C - again, another patented TT/MM "versatile", master of none project; and passed on Williams for Boyd who is JAG.

Typical Ted draft... I think he's being paid cash under the table, and is running a Fight Club like training camp for the Arena League - that explains why he needs the all the bodies. Kind of like the Running Man - that's where Caleb Schlauderaff is right now.

[denverYooper]

thank ya

my goal is 100 pages

There's a lot of bumpable material in here.

[KYPack]

The Packers have normally 1 gapped more than 2 gapped. But there is a difference between 1 gapping and a headlong rush into the backfield, separating yourself from your teammates with too much depth (see Raji versus Vikings, 2nd half, 2nd Vikings game) and creating gaps for backs to scoot through.

Back in the day of its initial installation, the Steelers of Cowher, Capers and LeBeau 2 gapped like a traditional, static 3-4. If I am not mistaken, the Steelers had already installed a 3-4 before Cowher's arrival (Dungy was on the staff that left). That changed as the decade wore on until LeBeau came back as DC and essentially started to use 1 gap as the basic approach. Darren Perry talked about this happening during his time in the Burgh. He was responding to reporters who expected 2 gap, all the time.

Dungy, by the way, kept his 3-4 principles in place through his stint in Minnesota until he landed the HC gig in Tampa. There he and holdover Monte Kiffin hashed out an approach that kept Kiffin's 4-3 Under and merged it with Dungy's zone. Boom, Tampa 2.

Kiffin BTW, taught that Defense to a guy named Pete Carroll and a bunch of others.

Pitt two gapped all along their 30 front. LeBeau likes to play it super conservative on his down lineman. They also did it bc they had the troops to get 2 gapping done. That may change with Hampton gone, Keisel in his final years, etc.

GB only two gaps at the zero tech. When Raji moves to a 5 tech, he one gaps. Very few GBP DLineman CAN two gap. The NFL rule of thumb is usually if you have a hand in the dirt guy who can two gap, you do it. Haloti Ngata two gaps regardless of his technique. Because he can do it.

[3irty1]

If Tretter blows us away, and seizes control of the C job?? If the muslim guy wins the RT job, and Bulaga solidify's LT?? If Boyd can actually play the nose (I don't think he can - I think he's CJ Wilson's replacement, i.e. a lateral move)?? If Capers gets his head out of his ass and actually plays more than 1 DL at a time?? If, if, if... and they're much bigger if's b/c TT went on the cheap again and went shopping for these items at the flea market.

Had TT just bitten the bullet and actually drafted a freaking Center, or drafted Brandon Williams when he had the chance, we could be talking about the prospects of an improved running game, and a no-doubter fire hydrant in the middle our D-line.

Instead, TT passed on Schwenke and Jones for an OG from Cornell, that they'll try at C - again, another patented TT/MM "versatile", master of none project; and passed on Williams for Boyd who is JAG.

Typical Ted draft... I think he's being paid cash under the table, and is running a Fight Club like training camp for the Arena League - that explains why he needs the all the bodies. Kind of like the Running Man - that's where Caleb Schlauderaff is right now.

It does kind of seem counterproductive for Ted to use his team of nfl scouts, weeks of game tape analysis, personal interviews, personal workouts, and considerable other resources to draft a dozen JAGs when he had numerous chances to pick the future hall of famer from Missouri Southern State that you watched a youtube video of.